Bound in Leather

ok... let me see. ~rustling paper~ damn, its not here. alright, who stole the parchment with my jokes on it? why would anyone steal my jokes? i mean, come on. they\'re not that bad. are they? ~looks around, waiting for an answer~ fine. i won\'t tell any more jokes. i\'ll just tell you that the people contained within this fic are not all mine. some are. some aren\'t. if you can\'t tell which is which.... you need to get out more. anything that you recognize from elsewhere belongs to j.k. rowling. she owns snape. i don\'t..... man, now i need a kleenex. i\'m not making any money from this. i do it purely for your enjoyment, as well as my own.

i\'m not sure that there will be any kind of smut in this chapter. if there is, you have been warned. keep some ice cubes or something on hand.

and, as usual, if you like my efforts, feel free to let me know. a kind word is muchly appreciated. constructive criticism is okay, too. just be nice about it.

Chapter Seventeen: Visits
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Al smiled up at Severus, noting the scowl and pointed glare he was giving her. She didn\'t care that he looked scary at the moment. She was just so glad to see him. Without thought, she stepped over to him and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him close to her. She felt him tense a moment, as if the action was unexpected, then he relaxed and slipped his arms around her to return the gesture of affection. \' I missed you,\' she told him. There was a world of emotion and feeling contained in those three words. Severus was shocked to find that he\'d missed her, too.

\'You look in need of a shower,\' he replied, pulling from her to move over to the tub. The shower head was in the shape of a serpent, like the rest of the fixtures, its mouth opened wide to spew forth the water. He twisted the knob for the hot water first, followed by the knob for the cold to set the temperature. When he had the water pouring from the shower head, he turned to find her standing where he had left her. She was simply staring at him, not moving. \'You will not be able to properly clean yourself if you do not disrobe, Alasdair.\'

\'Oh, yeah,\' she blushed, then grabbed at the skirting of her nightgown. She pulled it up, over her head, then tossed it to the floor before hooking her thumbs in the elastic of her panties and shoving them down. She wrinkled her nose at the pile of disgusting clothing at her feet, then moved toward the tub to get in. The idea that her body and hair looked as bad as the garments on the floor was enough to spur her to action.

The water was set to be warm and relaxing. Al dipped her head down until water poured over it, soaking into her hair. It dripped from the ends, dark with dirt and grease, and Al decided that she would have to shower at least every other day to avoid such an unsavory look in the future. Not even a good wallow in self-pity would stop her from keeping clean. She still had her head under the water when she felt the heat of naked flesh behind her, heard the etched glass door slide shut. She looked up and found Severus standing in the tub, his hands already reaching for a bottle of shampoo.

When his long fingers slipped into her hair to work the shampoo into it, she let go a sigh of contentment. The moment his fingertips began massaging her scalp, Al thought she would fall over in a dead faint from the intense pleasure of it all. Instead, she merely closed her eyes and allowed him to use hands that were divinely magical to rid her of the layer of dirt that coated her head to toe. Once finished lathering up her hair, he helped work the suds from the silken tresses, then applied the conditioner. \'This will have to stay in your hair for two minutes,\' he informed her softly. It gave him the opportunity to reach for the bar of soap and apply it to her skin.

Severus worked his way silently down her back, smoothing soap that smelled of mint and vanilla over her shoulders and along her spine. He gently washed her bottom, his hands curiously clinical despite the intimacy of his actions. He lathered her legs, lifting her feet to work the suds across the bottoms of them. His fingers slipped between her toes, working soap between them before putting her feet back on the floor of the tub. Still kneeling behind her, he began lathering up her front, working his way up.

The moment his hands curled over her belly to lather it up with soap, he felt her body tense. He knew where her thoughts lay even without using Legilimency. He watched as her shoulders sagged, her head falling forward as her hands came up to cover her face. The sobs were silent, but they shook her shoulders all the same. Wordlessly, he pulled her into him, his hands locking about her in a hug. She turned around in his embrace, burying her face in his chest. She wrapped her arms around his waist, crying hot tears onto his chest as she poured her misery out.

Severus remained silent the entire time, knowing that Alasdair needed the release. Something told him that she hadn\'t really done that yet. Oh, he knew she\'d cried. But she hadn\'t mourned. Not as she needed to. Poppy had told him right at the start that she might never do such a thing. It seemed, though, that he was the catalyst. Perhaps it was nothing more than his presence here. Or perhaps it was his touch that had broken the dam on her emotions. Whatever it was, he was the reason she was presently curled into his arms, using him as her favorite pillow.

Her misery scalded him as she poured it out on him. She wept hard, wailing loudly as her body finally shook violently with her spent pain. Her hands clutched at him, as if she were trying to draw him into her. With each of her tears, he could feel the sadness and melancholy try to tighten its hold on her. He willed her to fight it silently, knowing that she would never be free of them if she gave in to them. His arms held her, his body rigid against hers. Emotional displays were so far from his area of expertise. He didn\'t want to do the wrong thing and make her think he wasn\'t sympathetic to her feelings.

Alasdair clung to him, her bare flesh pressed to his. He held her, naked and wet, and felt nothing. Nothing but the smallest kernal of sympathy. It was surprising to him to know he could still feel something so human and simple after all this time. Anyone who knew him, who had spent time with him in his misinformed youth, would have a difficult time believing that he was capable of such a feeling. It was so very straightforward and yet so very copmlex. He was sure it stemmed from the niggling sense of loss that came with the knowledge that he\'d been on his way to fatherhood.

The longer he was allowed to dwell on the idea of children, the stronger a hold it took on his mind and shriveled heart. He knew that, somewhere deep inside, he was deeply feeling the loss of his child. Of his and Alasdair\'s child. He knew, the more he thought on it, that he would never want such an event with anyone else. Not a Witch of the highest standing. He wanted Alasdair and everything that entailed. He was not in love with her, but he needed her in his life. She was as much a part of his terribly worthless existence as the magic the filled his veins.

He couldn\'t be sure how long it was, but the tears eventually stopped. The loud wailing died down to soft, muffled sobs against his chest. She hung limply in his arms, her legs only just holding her up. He gave her a few more moments to calm herself, then helped her stand away from him. Her eyes were red and swollen, her nose tinged pink with her grief. But she stood and he could see her visually collecting herself. She looked up at him finally, her eyes swimming in grief, and managed a faint smile. Severus leaned forward and dropped a gentle kiss to her lips.

\' I\'m alright, now,\' she told him. He lifted a skeptical brow but said nothing. Instead, he turned her to face the spray of water and went for the soap once more.

\'We will ensure that you are properly cleaned, then I believe that we shall take a walk about the grounds. You look as if you could use the fresh air,\' he told her, his voice normal despite the concern her felt for her. In all the time he had known her, never had he seen Alasdair so dejected. He would admit that she had good reason to be, but it was still very difficult to see her like this. To see her so much less than what she had been. She was almost lifeless with her depression. And he hated that. It had been, was, her spirit that drew him. Her honesty and her tendency to be far too open with her opinions. She was one of the few people he\'d met in his long and lonely life who was as beautiful on the outside as she was on the inside. That was a rare combination, indeed.

It was one he intended to ensure remained that way, no matter what it took. Until he tired of her, Alasdair was his and he would do what he could to see that she was once more the bright and caring woman he\'d come to know.

~*~*~*~*~

It was brisk out, summer just beginning to give way to the first chill of fall. The trees were just beginning to turn, the leaves a riot of rusty colors as they clung to the last dregs of summer and their short lives. Severus looked austere in this setting, his trousers in black and woven of a cotton/linen blend. The shirt he wore beneath it was black, button down with long sleeves and of fine cotton. The coat he wore was slightly longer than the normal, naturally in black. It almost sported the look of a Victorian frock coat though there wasn\'t quite the skirting at the bottom that the Victorian styled coat would have. He had it buttoned up to nearly his chin. His pale hand held Alasdair\'s as he escorted her toward the back of the house and the flower garden left over from his mother.

He had seen her dressed warmly, a pair of worn blue jeans hugging the length of her legs while a sweater in a dark blue covered her torso. She also had on a jacket. It was warm though not thick. She held his hand tightly in hers, as if afraid that he would disappear were she to let go. Thich socks covered her feet, which had been tucked into a very worn pair of Nike hightops. She was staring about her with a great deal of interest, as if she had yet to see this part of his familial home. \'Over there,\' he pointed to a tree that was about half an American football field away. \' Is where I fell from a tree when I was only six. I was in the process of hiding from my father.\'

\'What happened?\' she asked him, seemingly interested in his story. \'Did you break anything?\'

\'Only my pride,\' his chuckle was soft, but she heard it anyway.

\'Why were you hiding?\' she asked, her curiosity plain to hear.

\'He had decided I had done something wrong when I had not. It had been his intent to punish me for said believed disobediance. I had been determined to avoid said punishment,\' he recalled. \'As it stood, I was punished for my believed disobediance, then I was punished once more for my attempt at hiding. I did not try climbing a tree again for a very long time.\'

\' I don\'t really remember much about my dad. He left me and Mom when I was about five. He\'d found himself in love with the counter help at a local diner. Mom married Kevin when I was twelve. It was a good thing for her at the time. Or so I thought. I didn\'t know that Kevin was such an evil man. He abused us both for years. When I got old enough to stop him or leave, Mom was sick. I couldn\'t leave her by herself with him. And I couldn\'t afford to take care of her on my own.\'

\'Kevin will never hurt you or your mother again. I have personally made sure that he can harm no one else. Perhaps himself, but no one else,\' he told her, his tone less than cordial. Alasdair fell silent a moment, during which time they rounded the corner of the manor house and came upon his mother\'s garden. A pang of old pain sliced into his heart as he recalled how much he had loved his mother and how painful losing her had been. Shortly after her funeral, he\'d come out here and charmed her flower beds. While the flowers didn\'t live forever, they did not die with the winter. They were kept warm and safe all year round, slowly withering away and dying from nothing more than old age.

There were tea roses mingling with carnations and crysanthemums. Lilies were interspersed with snap dragons and daisies. There were so many flowers, it looked like a small patch of a field covered with a riot of wild flowers. Some of them, he had once used in potion making. Most of them were now left to grow unchecked. They had managed to take over the weeds so that there needed to be little done about pesky plants. He heard Alasdair gasp softly as she spied the large, colored roses that made up the back wall of the gardens. Reds, blues, purples, yellows, oranges, whites. The colors were all there and set the field awash with a rainbow of petals.

\'Oh, Severus. This is beautiful,\' she whispered, her voice full of awe. He couldn\'t help the smile her words brought forth.

\'This was my mother\'s. I could not bear to see the flowers wither away and die after I buried her. So I keep the gardens alive in her memory,\' he informed her, allowing her to stand and stare at the floral buffet spread so temptingly before her.

\'You must have loved her very much to do this for her,\' Alasdair looked up at him. He stared down at her, hiding the surprise from her that had been brought to life by her words. Instead, he simply nodded and looked back across the small ocean of multi-hued blossoms. She remained silent after that, as if she knew his mind was in turmoil, as he recalled his mother and just how much he missed her.

They walked and talked for another half an hour before Severus lead Al back toward the house. She seemed to have once more withdrawn into herself and was looking rather worn out by their walk. He escorted her to her room, stepping inside with her and motioning with one arrogant gesture to the bed. \'You will lay down and nap for a few hours. I have a meeting to attend, so I shall be gone for two, perhaps three, hours. We will go downstairs to the dining room for the meal when I return. And you will eat, Alasdair. I will not have you depriving yourself any further and only succeed in making yourself any more unhealthy than you are.\'

\'Alright,\' she nodded as she took off her coat, moving over to a chair to drop it into. He stood by the door and watched her pull off her shoes and socks, followed by her sweater and jeans. Her bra joined the rest of her clothes, then she moved to the dresser that held her clothes. From one of the drawers, she pulled out an old t-shirt that looked large. Slipping it on, he saw it came to just above her knees. The neck was so large that it dipped down over her shoulder to expose part of her arm. She moved back toward him, going up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. Then she turned and crawled into bed. She was asleep almost before her head touched the pillow.

~*~*~*~*~

Severus left Alasdair asleep on the large bed, closing the door to her room silently. He stalked to his own chambers, drawing his wand discretely and flicking it at the door to release the wards and locking spells on the wooden panel. He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. Everything was as he\'d left it. Any dust that might have accumulated during his absence was nowhere to be found. He smirked at this. As much as he detested House Elves, the creature that was bound to the Snape family was efficient and gloriously absence. Only this Elf could slip past his wards and spells and this was only to clean. The foul little being did its job and remained hidden from his sight when he was home.

He moved across the room, enjoying the feel of the thick pile of the gray carpeting beneath his feet, to the antique armoire on the far wall near the bathroom door. Swinging the heavily carved wooden doors open, he searched through the hanging forest of black. His hand closed over the heavy wool of his cloak and he drew it from the depths of his wardrobe. He tossed it to the bed, then went to the suitcase he\'d brought with him. He opened it and withdrew some of his favorite clothes. A pair of leather pants that he\'d worn until they were soft and supple. They hugged his hips and the lean line of his legs. With it, he would wear a shirt of silk, with no collar and ribbon ties across the chest. The sleeves were wide with gathered wrists to give it a faintly piratical look. He scooped up his cloak and swirled it about his shoulders, securing it as he stepped from his room and once more engaged the wards and spells.

He made his way out into the late afternoon, moving off for the trees behind the house. He didn\'t want anyone to see him simply disappear when he Apparated, so the trees were the best way to go. He stopped long enough to glance back at the house, his eyes going over the ancient ediface slowly. It was his home, no matter what came. Perhaps, if things worked out, it could be Alasdair\'s home, too. The thought came unbidden and he snarled as he pushed it aside. Best not to think like that, as it was pointless. Once under cover of the trees, he called out his destination then Apparated.

~*~*~*~*~

Severus stood before the gates, staring at the green yards that surrounded Hogwarts. The castle itself loomed up over the grounds, standing silently as sentinel of the British Wizarding World. The place where all young British Witches and Wizards came to receive their training before being shoved out into the real world. He had once called this place home, had once belonged here. It had been over two years since he\'d last been here. He was surprised that he felt a faint sense of longing. Even more surprising was the wave of nostalgia that rolled over him. Taking a moment to study the jumble of emotions vying for dominance, he was nearly bowled over to discover that he actually missed the school and his former position. He muttered a curse, calling himself the biggest kind of fool for feeling this way, and promptly tamped down on the annoying emotion.

Just as the gate closed behind him, a single carriage rolled to a halt before him. He stared at the Thestral pulling it, watching the beast eye him as he pondered the reason be could see it. Death. The Thestral appeared before him because he had seen so much death. Had been the one to deliver people almost indiscriminately into the waiting arms of Death. He heaved a sigh and moved to climb into the carriage. Almost before he was seated, it was on its way up the long drive to the front doors of the school.

The ancient stone building was fairly alive. He could feel it breathe, feel it reach out to welcome him home. Something he didn\'t want it to do, but couldn\'t seem to stop it. He tried pushing the thoughts of belonging and being wanted aside, tried to concentrate on his reason for being there. Not more than three days ago, he\'d received an owl post in Albuquerque from Headmaster Dumbledore. He\'d been partly surprised and mostly annoyed that the scheming old man had found a way to get an owl post to him in Albuquerque, New Mexico. But he also knew never to put anything past the disgustingly well informed and capable Wizard, either.

The message had asked him to come to Hogwarts so that he and Albus could discuss things. He hadn\'t liked the wording. Things could mean anything with all knowing and all seeing Albus Dumbledore. And yet, despite his misgivings and many mental warnings, he\'d agreed to meet with the man. He felt like the world\'s biggest fool. And yet, here he was. In a carriage that was just now coming to a halt before the doors of the school. The place that had been his salvation as much as it had been his damnation. \'Fucking sheep,\' he muttered as he stepped down from the vehicle. As soon as both feet were on the path, the carriage rolled off again.

His feet were on the top step when one of the large doors swung open on silent hinges. He stared at the green clad figure standing just inside and caught himself before groaning outloud. He didn\'t, however, stop the eyeroll. Minerva McGonagall frowned for a fraction of a second before breaking into a rarely seen smile of such brilliance, it was nearly blinding. Then he found himself pulled into her thin arms for a tight hug. The action was a touch on the shocking side, so he did nothing. It wasn\'t a very long hug, and she pulled away to look up at him with a faint scowl on her face. Her eyes, however, were full of joy and told another story completely.

\' It is about time you showed yourself about the place, Severus Snape,\' she snapped at him, pushing the door shut behind him. \'The castle has been rather dull without your snarky presence.\'

\' I didn\'t dare show my face, for fear that you would take it upon yourself to hex me,\' he replied mildly and it took Minerva a moment or two to realize that he was joking with her. She motioned toward the stairs and started forward. Severus wasn\'t far behind her. He found himself glancing at everything, noticing that nothing much had changed since his abrupt departure two years ago. Ghost floated past, stopping to do a double take when they saw him stalk along behind the Deputy Headmistress.

They were moving up the halls where many of the classes were located when he was halted by a whisper of surprise. He turned to find himself staring at a pair of fifth year Hufflpuffs. Both boys had their wide eyed stares locked upon him, but seemed to come out of it as he looked their way. They both shook their heads as one and turned to move on. \'Bloody hell! That looked like Snape! But that git wouldn\'t show his face here anymore,\' one of the boys said loudly.

Severus felt himself slipping once more into his teaching persona, the scowl settling comfortably on his face. He narrowed his eyes on them and spoke in sharp, precise tones. \'If I were still able, Mr. Billington, I would subtract points from Hufflepuff for such an idiotic comment and such blatant disrespect!\'

He turned and continued on after Minerva. There was a strangled sound from behind him while he was certain he heard barely contained laughter from before him. He shook his head, heaving a sigh of long suffering, following after Minerva silently. When they reached the gargoyle, she offered him a smile again, then looked to the statue. \'Charleston chew,\' her hands\' motions accompanied the words and the gargoyle began to turn, revealing the spiral stairs that moved toward the Headmaster\'s office. Looking at him once more, Minerva smiled. \' Its good to see you, Severus. And do me a favor, my dear boy. Get your damned hair cut. That style is too long by far. You look like a common ruffian like that.\'

Then she turned and went back up the hall, leaving him to face Albus on his own.

Severus put his feet, one at a time, up onto the rotating stairs and rode them to the top. The door was standing open, an unspoken invitation for him to step in. He strode into the room as he had so many times when he was still on staff and stopped before Dumbledore\'s desk, waiting for the old man to look up and notice him.

Several minutes of silence ticked by before Albus bothered to even acknowledge him. \'Have a seat, my boy. I shan\'t be but a moment.\'

How he still hated to be called that. And how he\'d missed it. Not that he would ever admit it to the old man. He\'d never hear the end of it were he to do so. Instead, he removed his cloak and draped it decorously over the back of a chair, then made himself at home on the seat of the piece. It was only a few moments later that Albus looked up at him, his cornflower blue eyes twinkling almost demonically. That was not a good way to start the meeting, nor was it a good sign in general. \'Interesting choice in clothing, Severus,\' the Headmaster observed.

\'Thank you, Albus. But you did not call me here to discuss my attire. Shall we get to the point and cease wasting each other\'s valuable time?\' he asked curtly. Blast him his sentimentality. Had it not been for that, he wouldn\'t be here at present. He should never have come, but there was no help for his sudden cowardice now.

\'Quite right, my boy. We\'re here to discuss you. And how I would be so very appreciative if you were to come back to Hogwarts and take up your position as Potions Master. We need you. I\'ve found no one who can replace you,\' Albus told him matter of factly.

\'Why should I? I have a perfectly acceptable career as the reigning prick of Rock and Roll,\' he replied in the most bored tone he could manage.

\'Do you, my boy?\' Albus looked at him intently. When Severus made no reply, he went on. \'You struck out on your own and attempted to find a new place for yourself. Yet you are no happier in your new life than you were in your old life. You have found that one world is no better than the other. Did you ever truly find what you were searching for?\'

He answered without hesitation or thought. \'Of course I did.\'

\'And what was it that you found?\' Dumbledore asked him.

\'Alasdair,\' was his instant reply.

\'Ah, yes. Miss Wyndham. Poppy has told me much about her. She insists you seem quite taken with the girl,\' Albus chuckled. Severus glared at him, wondering why he should feel even the slightest bit unhappy about this topic of conversation. It wasn\'t as if what he did was of concern to anyone but himself. And it wasn\'t as if he cared what anyone thought about what he did. So why was the Headmaster\'s sudden dip into his life making him uncomfortable? \'Poppy, of course, must be very much mistaken.\'

\'Of course,\' he snorted indignantly.

\'Severus, I know you are unhappy out there. That you haven\'t found those things you thought you were missing, that drove you from us in the first place. That doesn\'t make you a failure. It makes you human, and its perfectly alright to be human,\' Albus told him, settling his hands in his lap as he watched the younger man.

\' I am not human, Headmaster. I am Severus Snape, the Rock God. The people who claim they love me will let me be nothing less,\' he replied, not caring that his tone came out sounding far sharper than he had intended. Far more bitter than he\'d intended.

\'Those people don\'t love you, Severus. That is not your life,\' Albus told him in his gentlest voice, smiling painfully at his former student and staff member. \'Are you ready to come home, my boy?\'

\' I have no home anymore,\' Severus replied coldly.

\'You will always have a home here, Severus,\' Albus told him softly. The two men stared at one another in silence for a while, then Severus stood up and reached for his cloak. Albus understood that the meeting was over. He gave the man across from him a sad smile and sighed. \'At least think on it before you give me your answer, my boy. Please?\'

\' I will give the offer some thought,\' Severus replied, not much promise in his tone. Albus nodded, knowing that the offer would wake his former Potions Master one night during sleep and would gnaw at him until he gave it the attention it felt it deserved. He watched Severus swirl the cloak about his shoulders.

\'Those certainly are flashy trousers, my boy. Tell me, is there a purpose to wearing them?\' Albus asked a moment before Severus stepped through the door. He turned, the fall of his long black hair moving with him, and gave the Headmaster the ghost of a smile.

\'They drive the women completely nutters,\' he replied slowly, making a point of shaking his head. \'As does the length of my hair. They positively scream themselves silly over the smallest things.\' With that, he turned and left the old man\'s office. Albus sat and thought for a moment, then opened his desk drawer. Inside was a confiscated portable compact disc player. It had been taken from a student in Trelawney\'s Divination Class. The small round disc loaded into it was black on the top, silver on the bottom. The black part had writing in green on it. Albus knew what it was. He slipped the earpieces into his ears, then pushed the play button.

The music was low and dangerous, throbbing with a sensual beat that made one think of liquid sex. The voice was absolutely perfect with the music, urging men and women alike into the arms of one another and orgasmic bliss. Albus closed his eyes and settled back in his chair, chuckling at himself for his thoughts. \'What a wonderfully dirty mouth you have, my dear boy! This is simply so unlike you that it is precisely like you. I never knew you were quite this talented.\'

~*~*~*~*~

Severus stared down at the sleeping form, sighing with the thought that he had to wake her. Alasdair looked peaceful as she lay on the bed. But she needed to eat as much as she needed to sleep. He reached out with a hand and shook her, watching as she shifted and rolled onto her back. Her eyelids fluttered up and it took a moment for her to focus on him. When she did, her smile was soft and gentle. She sat up and promptly yawned. \'Back already?\'

\'Already? I will have you know I was gone for well over an hour,\' he lifted a brow at her when she giggled. She sat up, stretching by arching the line of her back out with her hands over her head. When she was done, she stood up and moved to the dresser once again, digging through the drawers to find what she wanted. Her hands came out of one drawer with black lace. A bra. She took the shirt she wore off and tossed it to the bed, deftly slipping her arms into the bra and fastening it.

He watched her as she wiggled and positioned her way into the lace cups. He\'d always found women\'s undergarments fascinating and never tired of watching a woman slip in and out of them. It was no exception watching Alasdair trying to position herself in the cups of her brassiere. When she stood straight, he found that the bra was of the style called demi and it pushed her breasts up nicely. Being a man, and one that had decided he rather liked the feminine form, he took the opportunity to admire hers.

He could see that she had lost some weight, which told him that she wasn\'t eating as she was supposed to. But it wasn\'t so much that a person would notice right from the start. Clad only in her under things, it was obvious. He would ensure that she ate enough to put the small amount lost back on. He would not let her lose herself in her depression. If he could do nothing else for her, it would be that. His attention was drawn to her hands as they once more searched through her drawers for clothes to wear.

When she was fully clothed, he took another moment to study her. She had chosen a knit shirt in a soft blue that accentuated her eyes, made them brighter, and a pair of black jeans that were as old and worn as the ones she\'d had on outside. They hugged her curves like loving hands and Severus found himself the slightest bit surprised that such simple clothing could make a woman appear so... sexy. She skipped putting shoes and socks on her feet, finally giving him a faint smile when she looked up at him. \' I hate shoes,\' she explained. \'Try to avoid wearing them whenever possible.\'

\' I see,\' he nodded, then offered her his arm. Her smile grew as she slipped hers into it. He nodded, then turned and lead her toward the door. The two of them were silent as he escorted her along the dark halls to the stairs. She was amazed at how much wood there was in his house, at how dark it all was. Nearly all the wood was a deep, dark mahogany that shone with years of polishing with a high quality wood polish. She loved looking at his house, even if there were parts he wouldn\'t let her explore.

The dining room was off what he referred to as the sitting room, a room with a large wooden table that could easily seat twenty. Both the table and the matched chairs were of the same dark wood as the rest of the house. Wainscoting of more of this wood covers the lower half of the walls. The upper half was painted a soft ivory that helped warm the room and soften the darkness. At the top of the walls, near the ceiling,was a border runner of paper. It was pale green ivy, clinging and wrapping its way around the wall as if it were alive. He helped her into her seat, then took his own next to hers. With a clap of his hands, a door on the far end opened and in came an older woman in a starched uniform with a tray of food in her hands.

They started with a salad, the lettuce crisp and crunchy. The vegetables in the salad were fresh, the dressing sweet and cold. The salad was cleared away and replaced with the main course. Braised beef with roasted potatoes. Fresh corn complimented the other two components, sweet and slightly buttery. Dessert was chocolate mousse, a dollop of real whipped cream on top and sprinkled with chocolate shavings. A crisp red wine accompanied the meal, and by the time desert was set before her, Al felt the slightest bit tipsy. She wasn\'t much of a drinker and the wine had gone straight to her head.

She\'d just put a spoonful of the sinful mousse in her mouth when a voice interrupted them. She shivered when she heard it. It was masculine, pitched low, and completely sexy. If one paid no attention to the under tones of arrogance and utter contempt for all things beneath the speaker. She glanced up and looked at Severus, noting the lack of expression on his face. She looked over to the doorway, waiting to see the owner of the voice.

Severus looked to the doorway as well. More out of an insane hope that he wasn\'t hearing what his mind told him he was hearing. But the voice grew steadily in volume as it moved closer to his dining room. It made him terribly happy that he had cast anti-Apparation wards on the house, as well as taking his floo off the public floo network. He kept the frown from his face when the voice\'s owner stepped through the doorway and stared at the scene spread out before him.

He stole a glance to Alasdair\'s face and lost the battle with his frown. She was staring at their guest with undisguised lust. It wasn\'t a large amount, but he could see it there all the same. He\'d seen that look, only much more intense, cast his direction often enough to know what she was thinking. But then her eyes met that of their guest\'s and she frowned a moment before turning away. When she glanced up at him, he could see that the look was gone. It had been replaced by one he\'d never actually seen in her eyes before. Instant dislike. His lips curled in a smile. He\'d always known she was a smart woman.

\'Well, well. So the rumors I heard were true. You\'ve returned to England after all this time,\' the visitor drawled sardonically.

\'Lucius,\' Seveus nodded his head, his tone clipped. He watched as the blonde turned again to Alasdair to study her at length.

\'My, my. A woman? Is there some sort of special occasion I was unaware of?\' Lucius asked, his gaze taking in every single attribute Alasdair possessed. \'Tell me, Severus. Who is this simply delectable creature? Do be a gentleman and introduce us.\'

\'Lucius, I should like for you to meet Alasdair Wyndham. Alasdair, this is Lucius Malfoy,\' one of his pale hands motioned from the blonde standing just inside the doorway to the woman sitting beside him. Damn the man and his miserable timing.

\'Alasdair? What an unusual name for such a lovely woman. I am so very pleased to make your acquaintance,\' the blonde smiled at her. Severus scowled and lifted his wine, draining the glass silently. Damn. Damn damn damn damn damn and shite. There was no way this could visit could be anything but bad.

end chapter seventeen.
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my thanks to the usual gang. they all know who they are and they all know how much they mean to me. they always manage to keep me going when i want to quit and give in. especially lately. real life has been such a bitch to me lately and has made things almost impossible for me. managing to do much of anything beyond sleeping and crawling out of bed has been a trial. writing has been almost impossible, but i\'m getting back into the swing of things and my friends have been such a help to me. Pam, Red, Echo, Dar and Kenly in particular. i love you guys bunches and i can never in words express how much your shoulders and support have meant to me.

blame the length of time between posts on real life. it is to blame. and, as usual, if you find any errors in here.... spelling and grammar and punctuation... that is entirely my fault. please don\'t hurt me.

and, as always, if you like this, please feel free to let me know. i promise i don\'t bite and i\'m not contagious. but be gentle with me. thanks so much

and finally:

to MidnightLilly: i\'m glad you\'re enjoying this. thank you for reading.

to deblovesdragon: i\'m so happy to have a constant reader and reviewer. thank you for taking the time to read this. i am so glad that you enjoy it as much as you do.

to star: i know you were crying cos you were sad. i was teasing you. is a thing with me. :) and i\'m glad you liked the last chapter. i hope you like this one, too.

to Katherine Rose: i\'m glad you like it. it was one of those things that just bit and wouldn\'t let go. i\'m always up for new readers. thank you for giving me a chance. i really am enjoying writing this. i can so very much see Snape in the world of Rock and taking it by storm as he and the band have in the story.

tamargrl: i apologize most humbly for the length of time between updates, and i promise to try and keep it from happening again. and i am humbled that you find them that enjoyable. and you\'re right. good things will be coming up soon. we must have patience.

to CathyN: glad you enjoyed the chapter. hopefully, he\'ll never think about straying again. but, he is a man..... we\'ll just have to see.

to Red: you make me blush. always a faithful reader and a more faithful friend. i don\'t think i\'d have managed without your shoulders, Lady. i bow to your wisdom and inner strength. i\'m proud to call you friend. and i hope you like this. see, it finally came? slowly, but it came. brightest blessings.

to Ruth: thank you for the compliments, hon. i\'m glad you\'re enjoying it.

to Echo: another rock in the miasma of my emotional, real life turmoil. you mean so much to me, as do your encouraging words. thank you for being there for me.